Tuesday, August 3, 2010

We're Not Part of Mexico!

Even though New Mexico is the 5th largest state in the U.S.--area-wise, not population-wise; for population, we are ranked 36th--we are often thought to be part of a foreign country. You can read New Mexico Magazine's monthly column, One of Our Fifty is Missing, for true stories of how this plays out. New Mexicans are congratulated for being able to speak English so well, are told that their catalog orders "can't be shipped to a foreign country," and are asked for their passports with alarming regularity by fellow Americans who hear "Mexico" rather than "New Mexico," or who just plain never heard that we are a state, located between Arizona and Texas.

You can read a fun discussion here on common misconceptions about our state; it's always a hundred degrees here, we are crawling with rattlesnakes, no one speaks English, and this one:

Airlines Representative: "Sorry, Ma'am, but we cannot fly your cats on an international flight".

Me: "Which state is international? Maine or New Mexico?"


As long as we are in video mode, if you would like to take a quick but very lovely tour of parts of New Mexico, please visit Becky's Blog to watch her slideshow.

Tomorrow: A video that probably should have stayed in the Zee family archives!

5 comments:

EG CameraGirl said...

Oh my goodness! I had no idea New Mexico was often mistaken for Mexico. Hmmm. I will no longer feel so bad when I think of how little Americans know about Canada. LOL

clairz said...

EG, many years ago when I was moving from California to British Columbia, my friends thought either that I would be traveling south on a boat to get there, or that I would be living in an igloo with sled dogs for transportation!

Deb from WhatsInMyAttic said...

I can understand the frustration. I get this all the time: And what state is Delaware in? Oh, Delaware, you are from New England! Dela-where??? Oh, Hell-aware! Delaware, isn't that part of New Jersey?

You'll be happy to know, though, that I am totally familiar with New Mexico because I HAVE A MAP! Maybe we should get the IRS to send out maps with the tax forms! Nahhh...people would just trash them!

Kate said...

I've had a subscription to the magazine for years and am always astounded re. the errors about the existence of the lovely state of NM.

becky said...

LOL, clair... sometimes when I tell people I'm working in NM, they're like "really, you work in MEXICO?" and i do believe I enunciate clearly! thanks for the link to my blog. by the way, my dad reads your blog now, too. (he never comments, though... on mine either!)
:)